Radio frequency matrix switch with integral automatic stub disconnect



Nov. 2, 1965 D. R. STEVENS 3,215,954

RADIO FREQUENCY MATRIX SWITCH WITH INTEGRAL AUTOMATIC STUB DISCONNECT Filed July 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /2 FIG INVENTOR DONALD E. STEVENS ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1965 D R. SVTEV/IENS 3,215,954

RADIO FREQUENCTMATRIX SWITCH WITH INTEGRAL AUTOMATIC STUB DISGONNECT Filed July 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR DONALD R. STEVENS BY Vv% ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,215,954 RADIO FREQUENCY MATRIX SWITCH WITH IN- TEGRAL AUTOMATIC STUB DISCONNECT Donald R. Stevens, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor to Collins Radio Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed July 8, 1963, Ser, No. 293,457 6 Claims. (Cl. 333--7) This invention relates in general to a switching device, and in particular to a coaxial wave guide matrix switch. It is oftentimes desirable in electronics to switch electrical energy from one path to another.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple coaxial wave guide switch which makes electrical connections between a pair of selected conductors, and simultaneously disconnects each of said conductors from a stub portion ofthe line.

Another object is to provide an improved, simple coaxial wave guide switch.

A feature of this invention is found in the provision for a switch for a pair of wave guides which pass adjacent each other, and which removes unused stubs of the lines from the circuit. When the switch is in a first position, conductors of the two lines are connected, and when the switch is-in a second position, the conductors of the lines are disconnected.

Further features, objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in view of the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a matrix of horizontal and vertical coaxial wave guides with the switches of this invention installed;

FIGURE 2' is a diagrammatic view of a switch in the open position;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of a switch in the closed position;

FIGURE 4 is a cutaway perspective view of the coaxial switch of this invention, and;

FIGURE 5 is a detailed view of a contactor of the invention.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a matrix formed of a plurality of vertical coaxial wave guides designated as which are spaced closely adjacent a plurality of horizontal wave guides 11. A number of supporting cylinders 12 engage and support the vertical and horizontal wave guides 10 and 11, and are respectively attached to supporting plates 13 which may be mounted to a suitable supporting wall, not shown. Each of the cylinders 12 support a uniswitch structure 14 which comprises a housing 16 and a plunger shaft 17. A knob 18 is attached to the end of each shaft 17.

A center conductor 19 and an outer conductor 21 comprise each vertical wave guide 10, and each horizontal coaxial wave guide has a center conductor 22 and an outer conductor 23. When all of the switches controlled by the plungers 17 are open, the center conductors 19 of the wave guides 10 are connected together. Likewise, when all of the switches controlled by the plungers 17 are open, the center conductors 22 of the horizontal wave guides 11 are connected together. When one of the plungers 17 is moved inwardly relative to FIGURE 1, the center conductor 19 of that particular vertical wave guide 10 is connected to the corresponding center conductor 22 of the horizontal wave guide 11. Simultaneously, the portions of the wave guides extending beyond the contact point are disconnected from the center conductors. This is accomplished by the switch shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5. Such a switch is located at each junction where the horizontal and vertical conductors cross.

The center conductors 19 are broken and a first portion 20 has a sleeve member 24 attached to it. Sleeve.

member 24 is formed with an opening 26. A spring contact member 27, best shown in FIGURE 5, is mounted in.

opening 26 and is formed with spring fingers 28.

The other portion 29 of center conductor 19 has a second sleeve 31 attached to it which has a portion that is olfset from member 24, and which is formed with a.

central opening 32. A sleeve member 33 identical to sleeve 27 is mounted in opening 32 and is formed with.

spring fingers.

Likewise, center conductor 22 is broken and is formed.

conductor 22 receives a sleeve 38 which is formed with.

an opening 39 in which is mounted a sleeve similar to sleeve 27.

The plunger 17 is made of insulating material, and.

carries a pair of conducting cylinders 41 and42. As best shown in FIGURE 2, in the open position, the cylinder 41 engages the members 24 and 31 to make electrical contact between them. Simultaneously, cylinder 42 engages sleeves 36 and 38 of center conductor 22 to make. electrical contact between them. The sleeve member 27 and spring fingers 28 make good electrical contact between the cylinders and the center conductors.

When the knob 18 is moved to the left relative to FIGURES 2 and 3, cylinder 41 moves so as to engage. portions 24 and 38. Simultaneously, cylinder 42 moves. out of engagement with portions 36 and 38. Likewise,

electrical continuity between portions 31. and 24 is broken.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 except the,

external conductors 21 and 23 and supporting cylinders 12 are illustrated. It is to be noted that sleeves 31,24,

38 and 36 are supportedby insulating washers 43, 44, and 46 from the outer conductors of the wave guides. This gives mechanical support and rigidity to the structure.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the outer conductors 23 and 21 are electrically connected together and switching occurs by the movement of the cylinders 41. and 42 by the plunger 17. Each of the stub portions of the center conductors are disconnected when a connection is made at a cross point by the plunger 17.

In operation, only one of the plungers 17 may be moved in from any given row and column of the matrix shown in FIGURE 1 at any one time, and the particular ones moved would determine the points of electrical connection between the horizontal and vertical wave guides. For the matrix shown in FIGURE 1 four plungers 17 may be in simultaneously. Any one of the four horizontal wave guides 11 can be connected to any one of the five vertical wave guides 10 by selectively moving the twenty plungers 17. The electrical connection would, of course,.

be made at the cross point of the horizontal and vertical wave guides corresponding to the particular knob 18.

It is seen that this invention provides a simple matrix switching scheme for connecting a selected horizontal wave guide to one of a plurality of vertical wave guides.

Thus, there is provided a slide plunger type switch which may be easily and quickly moved from an open to a closed position, and back to an open position by merely moving the plungers 17 The plungers 17 may be moved manually by the knob 18 or, if desired, electromagnets may be used to allow remote control of the switches.

Although it has been changed with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it is not to be so limited, as changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coaxial switch comprising a pair of wave guides which cross adjacent each other, said wave guides have outer conductors electrically connected together, the center conductors of both wave guides broken adjacent the crossing point, an opening formed through each end of the center conductors, a shaft mounted for movement transverse to the center conductor ends, a pair of conducting cylinders insulatingly supported on said shaft and movable to a first position so that the first cylinder makes electrical contact between the ends of the center conductors of the first wave guides, and the second cylinder makes electrical contact between the ends of the center conductor of the second wave guide, and movable to a second position so that the first cylinder makes electrical contact between the ends of one of the center conductors of the first wave guide and one of the center conductors of the second wave guide.

2. A coaxial wave guide switch comprising a pair of wave guides passing closely adjacent each other, said wave guides formed with center conductors, the center conductors of the wave guides broken at the crossing point of the wave guides, the ends of the center conductors laterally ofiset and extending beyond each other at the crossing point and formed with aligned openings, an insulating plunger extending through the openings formed in the center conductor ends, a pair of conducting cylinders mounted on the insulating plunger and in a first position of the plunger the first cylinder engageable with the ends of the center conductor of the first wave guide, and the second cylinder engageable with the ends of the center conductor of the second wave guide, and the plunger movable to a second position wherein the first cylinder engages one of the ends of the center conductor of the first wave guide and one of the ends of the center conductor of the second wave guide, and the second cylinder is out of engagement with the ends of the center conductors.

3. In apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a slide contact is mounted in the openings of each of the ends of the center conductor, and is formed with flexible fingers to assure good electrical contact between the cylinders and the center conductors.

4. A coaxial wave guide switch comprising a pair of wave guides crossing adjacent each other and formed with outer conductors, supporting means supporting said outer conductors, the ends of the center conductors of both wave guides broken and laterally offset from each other, the ends of the center conductors of said wave guides formed with axially aligned openings, an insulating plunger extending through said openings and supported by said supporting member, a pair of conducting cylinders supported on the insulating plunger and movable to a first position so that the first cylinder engages the ends of the center conductor of the first wave guide and the second cylinder engages the ends of the center conductor of the second waveguide, and said plunger movable to a second position wherein the first cylinder engages one of the ends of the center conductor of the first wave guide and one of the ends of the center conductor of the second wave guide, and the second cylinder is out of engagement with any of the center conductor ends.

5. In apparatus according to claim 4 a plurality of wave guides lying in a first plane in a first direction, a second plurality of wave guides lying in a second plane in a second direction, and a plurality of switches according to claim 4 mounted at the cross points of the first and second plurality of wave guides.

6. In apparatus according to claim 4 a spring contact member mounted within the openings formed in the ends of each center conductor to assure good electrical contact between the wave guide ends and the cylinders.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,741,669 4/56 Barrett 20016 3,009,118 11/61 Stinson 3337 HERMAN KARL SAALBACH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COAXIAL SWITCH COMPRISING A PAIR OF WAVE GUIDES WHICH CROSS ADJACENT EACH OTHER, SAID WAVE GUIDES HAVE OUTER CONDUCTORS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TOGETHER, THE CENTER CONDUCTORS OF BOTH WAVE GUIDES BROKEN ADJACENT THE CROSSING POINT, AN OPENING FORMED THROUGH EACH END OF THE CENTER CONDUCTORS, A SHAFT MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TRANSVERSE TO THE CENTER CONDUCTOR ENDS, A PAIR OF CONDUCTING CYLINDERS INSULATINGLY SUPPORTED ON SAID SHAFT AND MOVABLE TO A FIRST POSITION SO THAT THE FIRST CYLINDER MAKES ELECTRICAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE CENTER CONDUCTORS OF THE FIRST WAVE GUIDES, AND THE SECOND CYLINDER MAKES ELECTRICAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE CENTER CONDUCTOR OF THE SECOND WAVE GUIDE, AND MOVABLE TO A SECOND POSITION SO THAT THE FIRST CYLINDER MAKES ELECTRICAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE ENDS OF ONE OF THE CENTER CONDUCTORS OF THE FIRST WAVE GUIDE AND ONE OF THE CENTER CONDUCTORS OF THE SECOND WAVE GUIDE. 